Clerodendrum thomsoniae Balf.f.
Vernacular name: Bleeding Heart Vine, Glory Bower
Species Name: Clerodendrum thomsoniae Balf.f.
Family: Lamiaceae
Habit: Evergreen woody climber.
Stem: Slender, twining, much-branched, woody with age; branchlets green and glabrous.
Leaf: Opposite, ovate to elliptic, 8–15 × 4–8 cm, entire, acuminate, glabrous, petiolate.
Flowering: Spring–autumn.
Flowers: Borne in axillary cymes; calyx inflated, white, 5-lobed, persistent; corolla bright crimson, tubular with 5 spreading lobes; stamens 4, long exserted; ovary superior, bicarpellary.
Fruit: Small bluish-black drupe enclosed by the persistent enlarged reddish calyx.
Uses:
- In traditional medicines, extracts of leaves are used to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, treat jaundice and skin disorders.
- Leaf extracts have antioxidant, hepatoprotective and thrombolytic properties.
- Poultices of flowers and leaves are tropically applied to treat cuts, bruises, sores and skin rashes.
- Leaves are macerated to make shampoos for eradicating dandruff and prevent scaling of scalp.
- Widely cultivated as an ornamental climber for its striking white calyces and crimson flowers. Commonly grown on trellises, pergolas, fences, and walls, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. It is primarily of horticultural value, with only limited traditional medicinal use.
